The present invention relates to intravascular devices and, in particular it concerns platforms for supporting intravascular devices within vessels, and devices for use with such platforms.
Trauma, injury, and/or disease may require medical intervention to rectify damage and/or monitor progress or the provision of prolonged drug therapy or other systemic means by use of intravascular devices or apparatus. It is beneficial to the patient to be able to introduce such devices or apparatus with minimal operative procedure, and where necessary their complete removal with similar minimal operative procedure.
The present invention provides a support system for a wide range of devices or apparatus that need to be held in a particular position inside a vessel of the body. With the exception of certain features of a preferred intravascular filter device, a detailed description of the function of any thus supported device or apparatus is not addressed in this text.
PCT Patent Publication No. WO01/19231 discloses a ring platform for deployment using minimal invasive surgical techniques to support an intravascular device within a blood vessel. The structure and deployment of the ring are illustrated in FIGS. 9B, 9C and 9D from that publication which are reproduced herein (with the original reference numerals) as FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, respectively. The entirety of the aforementioned PCT publication is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if set out herein.
Referring to the features of the ring of the aforementioned PCT publication more specifically, the ring is formed from shape memory material preset to a form resembling an open pair of jaws (FIG. 1A) exhibiting a roughly circular form in plan view while having roughly a C-shaped form in side view (FIG. 1B). The ring is temporarily folded on itself and straightened for insertion into a delivery catheter. The C-shaped curvature caused the ring to assume the required alignment transverse to the catheter as it is released and opens.
This ring configuration has major advantages of compactness and simplicity of deployment. For many applications, however, a single ring does not offer sufficient stability against misalignment within a blood vessel to be a reliable platform for supporting an intravascular device. Additionally, the aforementioned publication does not discuss how devices are attached to the ring platform.
Reference is also made herein to PCT Patent Publication No. WO02/04040 which was published subsequent to the priority document of this application and which does not constitute prior art to this application. The latter publication is also hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if set out herein. The '040 publication discloses a particularly advantageous intravascular filter structure as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (reproduced here as FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively, with the original reference numerals) including a helical outer wire and at least one axially-coextensive inner wire providing a filter configuration. In addition to various platform configurations to be discussed below, the present invention also provides various advantageous combinations of this filter structure with platforms of the present invention, and various farther modifications of the filter structure itself.
There is therefore a need for intravascular platforms which would provide enhanced stability against rotation or misalignment within a blood vessel. It would also be advantageous to provide a simple and effective form of interconnection between an intravascular device and an associated platform.